Thursday brings another busy day of sports betting action, with opportunities across MLB, NFL, WNBA, tennis, soccer and golf. At ProCappers, we're looking for value rather than simply backing the biggest favorites.
Here are today's free picks and betting leans.
MLB Free Picks
Thursday's MLB schedule features seven games, giving bettors several opportunities to find value.
Free Pick: Washington Nationals Moneyline
Rockies vs. Nationals
Pick: Nationals ML
Washington is our favorite MLB side on today's board. Colorado starter Gabriel Hughes has struggled badly, entering the matchup 0-5 and having surrendered 22 runs over his last 18? innings. Washington starter Jake Irvin hasn't been spectacular either, but the matchup gives the Nationals a chance to generate enough offense against a Colorado pitching staff that has been vulnerable.
ProCappers Prediction: Nationals win
MLB Prop Pick: Brewers vs. Mets NRFI
Pick: 1st Inning Under 0.5 Runs
The Brewers-Mets matchup is another interesting spot for an NRFI. Today's pitching matchup features Jacob Misiorowski against Sean Manaea, and the current betting market has the NRFI around the -155 range.
Best Bet: Brewers/Mets NRFI
NFL Preseason Free Pick
The NFL preseason reaches its final stretch, and tonight features Pittsburgh at Buffalo. Buffalo is currently listed as a 3.5-point favorite, although both teams are expected to manage their starters differently. Josh Allen and Aaron Rodgers are both expected to sit.
Free Pick: Bills -3.5
Steelers at Bills
Pick: Buffalo Bills -3.5
With the regular season approaching, preseason games can come down to depth, quarterback play and which roster has the stronger players competing for final roster spots.
Buffalo gets the home-field advantage, and we expect the Bills' depth to make the difference late.
ProCappers Prediction: Bills 24, Steelers 17
Best Bet: Bills -3.5
WNBA Free Picks
The WNBA also has action Thursday, including Golden State at New York and Washington at Phoenix.
Free Pick: New York Liberty
Golden State Valkyries at New York Liberty
Pick: Liberty ML
New York gets the nod at home in this matchup. The Liberty have the type of overall roster strength that makes them a difficult opponent, particularly when they can control the pace and force an opponent into half-court possessions.
ProCappers Prediction: Liberty win
WNBA Best Bet
New York Liberty Moneyline
Rather than laying a potentially inflated spread, we're comfortable taking New York to win outright.
Tennis Free Pick
The ATP Winston-Salem tournament has reached the quarterfinal stage, with Arthur Fery taking on Aleksandar Kovacevic Thursday evening.
Free Pick: Arthur Fery
Arthur Fery vs. Aleksandar Kovacevic
Pick: Arthur Fery ML
Fery has been one of the more interesting players to watch during the North American hard-court swing. His baseline game gives him a strong chance to control extended rallies, and we expect him to have enough consistency to advance.
ProCappers Prediction: Fery wins
Best Bet: Fery Moneyline
Soccer Betting Pick
The European club season is also getting underway, with qualification and domestic competitions providing additional betting opportunities. For soccer bettors, Thursday is better approached selectively rather than forcing action across every available match.
ProCappers Soccer Strategy: Look for favorites at home and avoid overpaying for short moneyline prices.
Our preferred approach today is to target match totals and draw-no-bet markets where available rather than chasing large accumulators.
Golf Pick
Golf action continues this week with major professional tournaments underway, including the PGA Tour Championship and events on the DP World Tour and LPGA schedule.
Golf Betting Strategy
For today's golf markets, our preference is to target top-20 and top-10 finishing markets rather than outright tournament winners.
The outright market carries considerable variance, while placement markets give bettors more room for error over four rounds.
ProCappers Best Bets Today
If you're looking for a shorter list instead of betting every sport, these are today's favorite plays:
1.Buffalo Bills -3.5
2.Washington Nationals Moneyline
3. Brewers vs. Mets NRFI
4. New York Liberty Moneyline
5. Arthur Fery Moneyline
Free Pick of the Day
Washington Nationals Moneyline
Our ProCappers Free Pick of the Day is the Washington Nationals moneyline against the Colorado Rockies.
The pitching matchup gives Washington an opportunity to attack a struggling Colorado starter, and the Nationals are our preferred side in one of today's MLB matchups. Current betting analysis is also backing Washington in this game.
FREE PICK: NATIONALS ML
Confidence: 8/10
Thursday Betting Card
| Sport | Matchup | Pick |
|---|---|---|
| MLB | Rockies vs. Nationals | Nationals ML |
| MLB | Brewers vs. Mets | NRFI |
| NFL | Steelers vs. Bills | Bills -3.5 |
| WNBA | Valkyries vs. Liberty | Liberty ML |
| Tennis | Fery vs. Kovacevic | Fery ML |
Remember that betting lines can move throughout the day. Always check the current number before placing a wager, and never risk more than you can afford to lose.
Good luck from everyone at ProCappers!